Lawnmowers 101...help please...

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Jmmsbnd007

Diamond Member
May 29, 2002
3,286
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Last time I tried mowing without a bag on (non-mulching honda) a few times... well, look at the lawn now. It's saturated with dead grass clippings. Half of the grass is dead, and we have the ugliest lawn in the neighborhood. Ugh.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
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81
And ornery brings us to a new level of xenophobism....

People pay more for import stuff right from the start, with the idea that they're built to last longer. After they last a few years, parts are no longer available for the damn things! Fvckin' fruity if you ask me!
 

Apathetic

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2002
2,587
6
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Originally posted by: Eli
Uhh.... You should be able to get a mulching blade for your mower at any lawn and garden center. Just make note of the size of the mower (20 inches, 21 inches, 22 inches..) and get the appropriate blade.

As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

I guess your grass may grow slightly faster since it's being fertilized by the mulched grass, but it's not really going to be noticable.

As for the mower you linked to at Sears.. the Briggs and Stratton engine on it is really no comparison to the Honda you currently have. While the Briggs will still be running in 7 years, it will be worn out.

<--- Resident ATOT small engine nut.

Yup. I used to work in a Lawn & Garden shop in college. Either bring in the blade itself (that way they can get you an EXACT match), or bring in size of the blade along with make & model of the mower.


Dave
 

TJN23

Golden Member
May 4, 2002
1,670
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People pay more for import stuff right from the start, with the idea that they're built to last longer. After they last a few years, parts are no longer available for the damn things! Fvckin' fruity if you ask me!

they are still better quality
 

Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
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Originally posted by: Jmmsbnd007
Last time I tried mowing without a bag on (non-mulching honda) a few times... well, look at the lawn now. It's saturated with dead grass clippings. Half of the grass is dead, and we have the ugliest lawn in the neighborhood. Ugh.
I did that for years with my yard, as well as my neighbors (everyone in my court has a Honda lawnmower) and it looks just fine. Maybe we all have super Honda lawnmowers.:confused:
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
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Originally posted by: TJN23
Can someone please help me convince my mom that we need to get a "mulching mower" for our lawn. We recently moved and our yard is way too big for a bag mower, b/c it needs to be emptied every 2 mins.

She says the mower is still good, so why should we get a new one. She's right, its a Honda and we paid $500 for it about 7 yrs ago and it still runs strong. It's too old so we can find a replacement mulching blade for it. I've looked everywhere (online and in the yellow pages)

A mulcher would have our yard done in an hour tops. For a $220 investment at Sears, why can't she see my logic?

Does anyone know of a decent mulching mower to get (at a good price)? Do you have to mow the lawn more frequently?

TIA

Tim

whats a mulching blade? what does it do that a regular blade doesnt?

and why not just take off the bag off your orginal mower and let the grass fly whereever?
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,128
781
126
Originally posted by: FeathersMcGraw
You can't mulch that often anyway, particularly if your grass grows quickly. If you mulch too frequently, the cut grass doesn't have a chance to adequately decompose before the next layer is deposited on top of it (the next time you mow), and you create a heavy thatch layer which chokes off new growth and creates areas that trap moisture, inviting mold and/or pests.

I find it's easier to just dump the bag of grass when it's full, then go back with a rake and a wheelbarrow later.
I was thinking the same thing. It would seem with a mulching mower you would have to dethatch often.

 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
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ornery!!!!!

we have a 17 year old honda riding mower, parts are still available. the only thing that has EVER gone bad with it was a battery, and a bearing on the deck itself. no rust holes, nothing. We also have an old international mower, has some bad parts, but still runs. old internationals were BUILT TO LAST no cheap aluminum parts all stainless steel. and now we have a 2001 john deere 52" deck, 20hp, v twin, liquid cooled, power steering, hydraulic deck, tilt steering, cruise control, hydromatic riding lawn mower. my dad wouldnt buy one of those massive walk behinds, because he didnt think my brother could handle it!! We havent fixed the honda yet, and the international's deck isnt on it. the john deere we use to cut our lawn in about 1 hour. its a mulcher, and we cut our grass at 2.25" in different directions every time. vertical, horizontal, diagonal, then back to vertical etc. and we have true green spray our lawn with whatever they use, and its as thick as ever!!!

MIKE
 

Jmmsbnd007

Diamond Member
May 29, 2002
3,286
0
0
Originally posted by: Spac3d
Originally posted by: Jmmsbnd007
Last time I tried mowing without a bag on (non-mulching honda) a few times... well, look at the lawn now. It's saturated with dead grass clippings. Half of the grass is dead, and we have the ugliest lawn in the neighborhood. Ugh.
I did that for years with my yard, as well as my neighbors (everyone in my court has a Honda lawnmower) and it looks just fine. Maybe we all have super Honda lawnmowers.:confused:
Either that, or I just have a dull blade...
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
ornery!!!!!

we have a 17 year old honda riding mower, parts are still available. the only thing that has EVER gone bad with it was a battery, and a bearing on the deck itself. no rust holes, nothing. We also have an old international mower, has some bad parts, but still runs. old internationals were BUILT TO LAST no cheap aluminum parts all stainless steel. and now we have a 2001 john deere 52" deck, 20hp, v twin, liquid cooled, power steering, hydraulic deck, tilt steering, cruise control, hydromatic riding lawn mower. my dad wouldnt buy one of those massive walk behinds, because he didnt think my brother could handle it!! We havent fixed the honda yet, and the international's deck isnt on it. the john deere we use to cut our lawn in about 1 hour. its a mulcher, and we cut our grass at 2.25" in different directions every time. vertical, horizontal, diagonal, then back to vertical etc. and we have true green spray our lawn with whatever they use, and its as thick as ever!!!

MIKE
Doesn't explain why TJN23 can't get a factory mulching blade for his unit. Quality or not, doesn't matter if you can't get parts.

I looked at the Honda riders when I made my Wheel Horse purchase back in 1986. I looked at Snappers and Ariens as well. Honda got nixed because it was too complex, had fewer features and cost several hundred more. I can't remember if you could store the Honda rider on end, or not, but the Wheel Horse does. I don't mean temporarily lift it on end for blade replacement and what not, I mean store it for the season without draining the oil or removing the battery. The battery of mine is mounted on a pivot. It can also trim on both sides of the deck, because the outlet for the grass catcher comes out the top of the deck, rather than the side. Needless to say, mine is going to stay with me for the long haul, so I'll need parts availability down the road. I would expect ANY manufacturer to at least keep blades available for their mowers for more than 7 years!
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
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81
People still use Bagging mowers? Ack. I cut my lawn ONCE with a bag because I thought it was too long to mulch. I had a pile that was about 10 feet square and about 5 feet high. OMG. Never again will I use a bag on a mower. Even if you can't mulch, just get a Side Discharge. Once the clippings dry out they'll just blow away or can be raked up if you want.

But YES I'd get a Mulching Mower. THey are better for the grass anyway.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
It's good to have the option there, Junior. Having 5 bushel capacity for leaves is pretty damn important for fall and spring cleanup. If people wouldn't lop their grass so short, they wouldn't fill the bag to capacity in two swipes in the first place!

I never did like the idea of rear discharge designs, but there are some manufacturers who offer side discharge options for their rear bagging mowers.



"just get a Side Discharge"

I love it. Spend mega bucks for a "quality mower", then put it out to pasture seven years later for want of a blade...
rolleye.gif
 

mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
7,804
1
0
Originally posted by: Ornery
And ornery brings us to a new level of xenophobism....

People pay more for import stuff right from the start, with the idea that they're built to last longer. After they last a few years, parts are no longer available for the damn things! Fvckin' fruity if you ask me!

I don't think they go that way with freaking lawnmowers man! People usually buy the cheapest/bang-for-buck mower they can find!

I have a Sears Craftsmans 5.5hp mower, I have no idea who made hte engine or anything, I just use it. Altho the engine is making some funny noises now, I think its hte bearings or something, cause it rattles.

Hey that brings me to my next question, anyway we can improve performance? Cause the blade keeps on getting stuck in tall grass, and it gets irritating to restart it every 3 mins.
 

mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
7,804
1
0
Another question:

Wat exactly is a mulching mower? I know ours can mulch, but doI need to add an attachment or what?
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
I meant the people who buy the big buck Honda mowers, which are REALLY steep. Actually, at the start of this thread, I couldn't really believe no blade could be had for it from a Honda dealer. If I were his mom, I'd get a mulching blade fashioned for it one way or another.


"anyway we can improve performance?"

Sharpen the blade! Believe it or not, I touch my blade up every time I cut the grass. Better for the grass, and easier on the engine. Raise the setting, too. Doesn't look as pretty, but it's better for the grass, you get less clippings and more time between mowings.


Edit: Different manufacturers get the job done differently, but a mulching blade is geared toward lifting the grass, and re-cutting the clippings as much as possible before it hits the turf. The discharge blades have lips geared for sending the grass from under the deck and out the chute as fast as possible. Usually these blades are radically different.
 

mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
7,804
1
0
Originally posted by: Ornery
I meant the people who buy the big buck Honda mowers, which are REALLY steep. Actually, at the start of this thread, I couldn't really believe no blade could be had for it from a Honda dealer. If I were his mom, I'd get a mulching blade fashioned for it one way or another.


"anyway we can improve performance?"

Sharpen the blade! Believe it or not, I touch my blade up every time I cut the grass. Better for the grass, and easier on the engine. Raise the setting, too. Doesn't look as pretty, but it's better for the grass, you get less clippings and more time between mowings.
I'm guessing I have to take this to a professional to sharpen the blade? Or is it something I can do at home?

Edit: Different manufacturers get the job done differently, but a mulching blade is geared toward lifting the grass, and re-cutting the clippings as much as possible before it hits the turf. The discharge blades have lips geared for sending the grass from under the deck and out the chute as fast as possible. Usually these blades are radically different.

So mulching is pretty much, throw the grass up when you chop it, then as it falls down, chop it again?? Pretty cool.

 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
"I'm guessing I have to take this to a professional to sharpen the blade?"

Hmmm, I wish you sounded more confident about doing it yourself.I use a big bench grinder and grind it like so. I grind the whole edge at 30 degrees, then kiss it on the last pass down to 40 degrees at the leading edge. I take as much off one side as the other for balance concerns. I don't even try to remove the deep nicks, just skim each side for a couple passes, then a file parallel to the bottom to finish. No way I could take it and have it sharpened every time I cut the grass!